The start of the new year is rapidly approaching, and with it comes dozens of new laws that will hit the books in the state of Illinois.
According to a search of the Illinois General Assembly’s website, at least 318 laws have an effective date of Jan. 1, but of those, which ones could have the biggest impacts on the lives of state residents?
To help answer that question, we have compiled a list of 64 of the state’s new laws, which run the gamut from consumer protection to child welfare to addressing climate change and much, much more.
In the days to come, we will do deeper dives on many of these subjects, and the new laws that will impact the state in the new year, but for now, here is our list of the biggest changes coming to Illinois in 2024.
HB 0780: The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Pilot will connect grandparents to relevant services and resources provided by state agencies. The pilot will be undertaken in Will County beginning Jan. 1 and running through 2027.
HB 1155: A person, surviving spouse or next of kin for any person who is injured or killed by a person under the age of 18 who is impaired by drugs or alcohol is eligible to pursue legal damages from a person who willfully supplied, or willfully allowed consumption of, drugs or alcohol to the minor in question.
HB 1190: The owner and operator of underground natural gas storage facilities are responsible for specified action in the event of a “verified facility release” of gas or other chemicals.
HB 1199: October will be designated as Italian-American Heritage Month in Illinois.
HB 1342: A massive transit bill, the law will explore expanded reduced-fare service, require transit agencies to purchase emission-free buses, and will provide free transit to victims of domestic violence.
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HB 1399: This law penalizes those incarcerated in penal institutions for “lewd sexual displays.”
HB 1526: The “Outdoor Rx Program Act” will enable grants for outdoor environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based or outdoor-based therapy programs.
HB 1541: If gas or electricity is used as the only source of space cooling, then a utility may not terminate service on any day where the forecast includes temperatures of 90 degrees or warmer, or any day preceding a holiday or weekend when the NWS forecast includes temperatures of 90 degrees or above.
HB 2039: IDPH and DCFS shall, at the request of local health departments, make any and all public health data related to residents of that jurisdiction available for purposes of preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability.
HB 2094: All marketing materials from mortgage companies not connected to a homeowner’s mortgage company must comply with specified requirements, so as not to mislead consumers.
HB 2123: The “Digital Forgeries Act” holds that individuals have rights to legal recourse if they are the target of “deep fakes,” or digitally-altered sexual images.
HB 2245: Cook County (or any county that exceeds three million residents) will be required to establish a vehicle theft hotline to facilitate the location of stolen vehicles.
HB 2269: All estate-planning documents must be able to be prepared electronically. Previously, only wills were included.
HB 2317: Individuals 16 or older who have not purchased a resident fishing license in the past 10 years are eligible to receive a one-time license for a discounted fee of $5.
HB 2389: No vehicle shall be stopped or searched by law enforcement solely because of a violation of driving with any object placed or suspended between the driver and front windshield, rear windshield, side wings, or side windows.
HB 2431: Videoconferencing while driving will now be prohibited.
HB 2493: All employees in Illinois will be allowed up to two weeks of unpaid leave in the event a family or household member is killed in a crime of violence.
HB 2500: Animal control facilities may not charge an adoption fee for dogs or cats if the person presents a valid ID or Illinois Person with a disability card with the word “veteran” printed on its face.
HB 2503: Any person who requires a course not offered by their local community college may take that course at another community college and pay in-district fees and tuitions.
HB 2519: Hospitals must provide information and materials to voluntarily donate milk to nonprofit milk banks. Those materials must be provided to parents of newborn children upon discharge from the hospital.
HB 2531: The Department of Transportation must establish a process for prequalification for business bids to participate in the construction of a South Suburban Airport.
HB 2562: Owners or properties dedicated to residents age 55 and older must provide a common area whose temperature is maintained between 67 and 73 degrees. Properties without building-wide cooling and heating systems must provide a common gathering space where a cooling system operates when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees.
HB 2719: Hospitals will be legally required to screen patients for eligibility for public financial assistance before sending them to collections. Hospitals will also be required to refer patients to free, unbiased resources if immigration-related concerns arise.
HB 2789: In order to be eligible for state grants, a public library or library system shall develop a written policy prohibiting the practice of banning books. Alternatively, libraries may adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights.
HB 2799: Insurance providers cannot have a higher standard of clinical evidence for the coverage of proton beam therapy than other types of radiation therapy treatments for cancer.
HB 2954: The Civil Liability for Doxing Act provides that an individual who engages in “doxing” can be subject to civil damages in addition to criminal liability.
HB 3087: The Director of Agriculture may declare a temporary halt on the sale, movement or exhibition of certain types of animals to prevent the spread of disease in the state. Such declarations can be made in increments of 30 days.
HB 3140: The “End Youth Solitary Confinement Act” prohibits the use of room confinement for discipline, punishment, and retaliation, or any reason other than as a temporary response to a juvenile’s behavior that poses a serious or immediate risk of physical harm.
HB 3203: Pharmacists may sell fentanyl test stripes over the counter. Test strips may also be distributed by county health departments.
HB 3236: Contracts, transactions and agreements where a retail outlet extends credit to a consumer to purchase a dog or cat are no longer permitted.
HB 3345: Illinois Identification Cards must be provided within 45 days to individuals who have been discharged from incarceration.
HB 3396: Any person who performs an action with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding a picket or other demonstrations or protests, or who places any object in the public way for such purpose, shall be subject to a Class A misdemeanor, with a minimum fine of $500.
HB 3491: Any laborer, worker or mechanic employed by a contractor or subcontractor and is paid in a sum less than the prevailing wage rate for work performed on a project has a right to legal action for whatever difference in salary there may be.
HB 3559: A school building’s emergency and crisis response plan must include a plan for law enforcement to rapidly enter a school building in the event of an emergency.
HB 3592: In situations of alleged sexual abuse, witnesses who are under the age of 18 shall only be questioned by a hearing officer, rather than by the teacher accused of misconduct, or a representative of that teacher.
HB 3699: Department of Employment Security must work with Department of Healthcare and Family Services to identify employment opportunities in the state for persons who are in arrears on their child support obligations.
HB 3707: The Commerce Commission shall publish all consumer complaints against any towing company on its website.
HB 3751: Non-citizens who are legally allowed to work in the U.S. will now be eligible to become police officers.
HB 3808: Streaming services are not required to pay ‘franchise fees’ to local governments for utility lines owned, operated and paid for by cable companies. The change was instituted to prevent consumers from being charged franchise fees for streaming services.
HB 3849: The Department of Agriculture should encourage food manufacturers to use uniform terms to communicate quality dates and safety dates on food packaging.
HB 3924: Schools shall provide instruction on the dangers of fentanyl to students in grades 9-12.
HB 3932: Students in grades 9-through-12 shall be educated on allergen safety, including ways of recognizing symptoms and signs of an allergic reaction, and steps to take to prevent exposure to allergens, and how to safely administer epinephrine.
HB 3957: Manufacturers and wholesale drug distributors will be required to abstain from price gouging in the sale of essential off-patent and generic drugs.
SB 0040: New single-family homes and newly constructed or renovated multi-unit residential buildings that have parking spaces must provide at least one electric vehicle-capable parking space for each residential unit. The law does not require developers or builders to install or run wire or cable for such charging stations, but requires them to construct buildings in a such a way as to allow for the installation of charging stations.
SB 0208: Nearly all Illinois employees will now be eligible for a minimum of 40 hours of paid leave per year. Employers can offer more if they choose to do so.
SB 0328: Any person or company that sells products or services that include automatic renewal must disclose the renewal terms clearly and conspicuously before the agreement is signed. They also may not charge credit or debit cards or payment mechanisms without first obtaining the consumer’s consent to the renewal offer terms. They must also make it clear how to cancel the automatic renewal before an agreement can be signed.
SB 0896: Auxiliary lighting on motorcycles may not emit blue lights. Auxiliary lights may only emit red light if they are actively braking.
SB 1251: Operators of ambulances or other rescue vehicles must have specified training in the operation of that vehicle. In municipalities with population of under one million residents, sirens and lamps must be in operation at all times when pedestrians and other drivers are present, and when that vehicle has been called to a bona fide emergency or has been directed to disregard traffic laws in the operation of the vehicle. The ambulance must also slow down at red lights to achieve safe operation.
SB 1463: Fees and fines can no longer be assessed in Illinois to individuals under the age of 18, except for traffic tickets, boating or fishing violations, or municipal ordinance violations.
SB 1526: The Department of Transportation must develop a mobile app that provides motorists with updated travel conditions.
SB 1563: By March 1, the Illinois EPA must have available information on microplastics and their effects on aquatic life and human health. The EPA must also provide information on regulatory action taken to address microplastics. By Oct. 1, the agency will be required to submit a report to the General Assembly and the governor.
SB 1623: Creates the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force. Requires that task force to develop a plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois while creating educational and tourism opportunities. That task force must submit a report by July 1, 2024.
SB 1653: The Department of Transportation and local authorities must institute a pilot program to erect and maintain hazard bars, or visual signs and additional signage, for all viaducts and underpasses with a clearance of less than 15 feet. Hazard bars must hang at the same clearance level as the viaduct or underpass, and be located at least 500 feet in front of them.
SB 1709: The Department of Human resources shall partner with the Board of Education to provide technical assistance for the provision of mental health care during school days with the goal of increasing availability of mental health resources for students.
SB 1710: The DOT, along with local authorities, shall erect permanent signage alerting pedestrians or cyclists of vehicle crossings at least 250 feet before said crossing.
SB 1715: Any location in construction where a drinking fountain is required must also feature a bottle filling station. New construction will initiate that requirement immediately, and existing construction will need to be retrofitted by July 1, 2026.
SB 1741: Property owners with five or more residential units must furnish an itemized statement of damage allegedly caused to leased units within 30 days of a tenant’s departure if a security deposit is being withheld in part or in full.
SB 1883: It will be unlawful for any person to allow any member of the public to come into direct contact with a bear or nonhuman primate.
SB 1889: When a pharmacist is not present in a pharmacy, a registered pharmacy tech, a registered certified pharmacy technician, a student pharmacists and other support staff are able to dispense prescriptions that have been verified by the pharmacist.
SB 1896: New and used licensed motor vehicle dealers will be allowed to conduct sales activities via the internet, and will be permitted to deliver vehicles to residences or other suitable locations.
SB 2005: Requires housing authorities to develop and implement policies granting housing preferences to veterans who are homeless.
SB 2034: Workers at companies with more than 250 employees are eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave if their child dies by suicide or homicide. Small employers of at least 50 people must allow for up to six weeks of unpaid leave. Leave must be completed within one year.
SB 2175: During the first 180 days following a person’s release from a penal institution, a court shall not order the person to pay outstanding fines, taxes, or costs from a criminal proceeding.
SB 2260: A person is not legally accountable for the conduct of another, unless statute dictates otherwise, if he or she was subjected to specified and credible coercion, compulsion, or duress related to domestic abuse.
